Gordale Scar
A towering limestone gorge whose walls nearly meet, with a waterfall tumbling from the rock crevices into the valley floor: overwhelming in scale.
Gordale Scar lies about 2 km east of Malham village. It is a winding, narrow limestone gorge with walls roughly 100 metres high, possibly formed by glacial meltwater or collapsed caves, and it has two waterfalls on the valley floor. In the 19th century the painter James Ward made it the subject of a large oil painting. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the roadside into the gorge. To go further up, you would have to climb the slippery rock beside the waterfall by hand, which is not advisable after rain. Entry is free. It is usually combined with Janet's Foss and Malham Cove in a circular walk.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Janet's Foss
- Malham Cove
- Malham Tarn
- Kilnsey Crag
- Grassington
- Pen-y-ghent
- Settle–Carlisle Railway
- Skipton Castle